A Time To Live
by ROSSELLA1
Summary: Allan notices his friend's wound and decides to take matters into his own hands. Allan Quatermain fic. Takes place during, "The Ivory Child".


A Time to Live

By ROSSELLA1 

Note: I do not own the Allan Quaterman novels or any of the characters. If I did Hans would never have died and neither would Mameena or Savage or a lot of the characters that Haggard decided to kill off. All quotes will be in italics and are taken from, "The Ivory Child," by H..

I sat alone that night listening to the sound of the troops of the Black Kendah approaching. They were in an uproar for some reason, though God knows why; we hadn't planned any attack to my knowledge and thus there was nothing for them to worry about. Well, perhaps it was some war custom unique to their culture; one that I was unfamiliar with. As I sat there, the moonlight seemed to show a figure of a man, crouched down and hurrying towards me. I raised my rifle but was reluctant to fire immediately. Perhaps it was only a hyena or some other wild creature and then if I fired I would not only cause a panic but be on the receiving end from much embarrassment and many jokes. Also, if it was a man, who was to say that it was not one of our own in which case I would be committing a crime tantamount to murder. So I waited and I was glad I did so as just as the shadowy figure neared the wall I heard the voice of Hans _gasp out, "Don't shoot, Baas, it is I."_

"_What have you been doing, Hans?" I said as he scrambled over the wall to my side, limping a little as I fancied._

"_Baas," He puffed, "I have been paying the Black Kendah a visit. I crept down between their stupid outposts. Who are as blind in the dark as a bat in daytime, hoping to find Jana and put a bullet into his leg or trunk. I didn't find him, Baas, although I heard him. But one of their captains stood up in front of a watchfire, giving a good shot. My bullet found him, Bass, for he tumbled back into the fire making the sparks fly this way and that. Then I ran and, as you see, got here quite safely."_

"_Why did you play that fool's trick?" I asked, "Seeing that it ought to have cost you your life?"_ Then I softened my tone, seeing that he was keeping his hand clamped tight to his groin. Not that I'd let him know but I was more worried than angry. "Come here. What's that?" I said trying to reach out and pull his arm away from his side.

"It's nothing, Baas." He gasped, shying away.

"Nonsense!" I exclaimed, frustratedly. "You've cut yourself. Let me see!" Sighing he stayed still and let me examine his wound. At that moment it seemed superficial enough, but I knew that if left untreated could prove dangerous. "Where did you get this, you little fool?"

"A spear, Baas. It grazed me as I was leaving."

Cursing I made him sit down. "Wait here. There must be some medicine woman in this God-forsaken place!"

"Baas," he protested, "It is nothing. I'll-"

"It's not nothing you idiot! Now sit still and wait while I go fetch a doctor." I went off and was lucky enough to find an old medicine woman who seemed to know her trade. We returned to find Hans faithfully waiting where I'd told him to, albeit glaring resentfully.

"Very good, Baas. You brought a witch so that she can tell you what Hans already has told you: that it is just a scratch and-"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot, and lean back so she can see it." Still muttering, he complied and the doctor bent of him.

For a moment she examined it then glanced at me saying. "It is good that you came for me. It will need to be sown up. If he had fought like this he could have been gravely killed."

"Well, do you still say it's just a scratch oh Light-In-Darkness?" Hans just looked away grumbling.

"I will need rum, a needle, some thread and a knife." The woman said turning to me. I fetched some out of my bag.

Hans' eyes lit up at the sight of the rum until the woman mentioned that it was for sterilizing the wound. For his part he bore the treatment bravely, wincing once in a while, but for the most part keeping silent. Afterwards we sat up, smoking our pipes. Finally Hans spoke. "Baas, I will forgive you for going for a doctor."

"Oh, you will, will you?" I snorted. "And will you also forgive me for saving your life?"

"Yes, that too Baas, since if you had not I might have died before the battle started leaving the Baas unprotected. This way-"

I spluttered. "Hans! You aren't seriously thinking about fighting after this?"

"Of course, Baas! As the witch said I would have died if it was left untreated but now I am better and if I do not fight then who will protect the Baas from getting killed?"

I did not remember her saying he was now healed and said so myself. "Hans you are not going to fight in the battle. Nor any battle until that wound is healed!"

"Yes I am because Baas's Reverend father always told me that should I fail to protect the Baas he would whip me for it and now that he is dead and a spirit he can fulfill that promise ten-fold if he chooses!"

"Nevertheless you will not be fighting!"

"Well, we will see, Baas as nobody knows what the future will hold, but if the Baas wishes it I will try to keep out of the fight."

I looked closely at his eyes and saw a gleam. The old Hottentot had always loved me and I believe he would do anything for me so I knew better than to trust his promise not to intervene in the fight. "Thank you Hans." I said and then paused. "Hans? I almost lost you today and you must have been in an awful lot of pain."

"Oh, it was as I told you nothing but a scratch." He waved it off.

"But surely you would need something to take your mind off the pain. A bit of rum perhaps?"

He looked at me suspiciously, then after a moment, "Well, now that the Baas mentions it I could use just a bit. That needle did hurt a lot…"

"Alright then! We'll drink to your health!" I went over and got out the rum again along with two glasses. Using my body to shield them, I also brought out a tranquilizer and emptied some into one of the glasses before filling them both with rum and bringing them back over to where Hans was sitting handed him the one with the tranquilizer. "Well, here's to a long future together!" I said brightly and downed my glass. Hans looked at me for a moment, warily and then greedily drank his own.

For a moment after he finished he sat there. "Thank you for that Baas, but I don't suppose-" before he could finish he'd conked out. After shaking him gently to make sure he was really asleep I cleared the glasses away and lay down as well, content that Hans would have no choice but to keep his promise. One thing I would never let him know was that I'd do anything for him as well.


End file.
